USB Testers for Cables and Chargers

Cable measurement equipment (USB testers)

​I use the following USB testers to test USB cables and chargers:

• ChargerLab Power-Z KM003C (Amazon), (AliExpress) 

  • The tester can check a wide range of USB charger protocols, including proprietary ones (although some protocols require a proprietary cable), read information from the e-marker chip, identify Thunderbolt 3/4/5 cables, and monitor voltage ripple, current, power, and the active charging protocol in real time.

  • There is a USB-C male plug, a USB-C female port for external power supply and connection to a PC, and a USB-C female port for testing using an external cable or connecting an external power consumer.

  • Advanced software with detailed PD protocol logs

  • ​Shows voltage levels on lines D+/D-, C1, C2

  • It can act as a trigger for protocols, including PPS. I use this functionality for load testing USB charging adapters that can provide higher power via PPS than PD.

  • Has a gyroscope (provides auto-rotation of the screen)

  • Has a supercapacitor that is used instead of a battery for stable operation during testing (if no separate external power supply is available)

  • Firmware is regularly updated, so the device is up to date, and its capabilities are increasing over time.

  • Cannot detect connected cable pins or measure cable resistance.

  • I use this tester to read e-marker chip parameters and determine the USB version, Thunderbolt version, and supported PD power rating when testing USB cables.

  • This is the best tester in terms of its technical and functional characteristics and reliability.

  • Documentation and software for Windows

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• FNIRSI-FNB58 USB Tester (Amazon), (AliExpress)

  • The tester can do almost the same thing as the KM003C, but cannot detect Thunderbolt cables and some proprietary charging protocols.

  • The tester can measure cable resistance using an external load that I made separately.

  • The tester has the following USB ports: USB-A male connector, USB-A female port, Micro-USB port (top) used for external power supply and connection to a PC, USB-C (2x), Micro-USB.

  • ​Another disadvantage is the lack of firmware updates for a long time (and the latest update did not bring any noticeable changes)

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• Treedix USB cable tester (Amazon)

  • All standard USB ports are presented in this tester: USB-C (x2), USB-A 2.0, USB-A 3.0, Micro-USB 2.0, Micro-USB 3.0, USB-B 3.0, Mini-USB, Lightning

  • I use this analog tester to determine which cable pins are connected, whether the cable can transfer data, which USB version (2.0/3.0) it supports, and whether it is suitable only for low-power 5V charging.

  • The device is fairly simple: it does not detect e-marker chips or charging protocols, but it is convenient for visually checking connected pins.

  • Physical contacts of cables for measurement with a multimeter probe are conveniently located

  • It is impossible to test a cable with a length less than 50cm (1.6ft)

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• BitTradeOne USB Cable Checker2 (Amazon.com)

  • I purchased this Japanese USB tester for convenience and to speed up the cable testing process since it has an LCD screen.

  • USB ports are presented in this tester: USB-C (x2), USB-A, Micro-USB 2.0, Mini-USB

  • The tester can determine the conductivity of wires/contacts (but it is visually less convenient than the Treedix)

  • The tester is able to determine cable resistance without an external load, which allows for doing without the USB-A - USB-C adapter (used for FNB58). The measured resistance is consistently 60mOhm higher than with FNB58, so I accounted for a 60mOhm offset during testing until I switched to the more reliable 4-wire Kelvin method. Compared with the 4-wire method, my tester's error is +/-25-30mOhm and may be either positive or negative.

  • Also, the tester shows the presence and value of the resistor installed in the USB-C cables on the CC pin.

  • There is no option to test chargers, only cables​